Another BIG REASON to have an elected Head of State

[Methusala]

I've discovered that the power available to Scott Morrison allowing him to shut down parliamant for 5 months (or more) came as a result of the Governor General's declaration of a state of emergency on March 18, 2020. This means, in effect, that the GG has allowed the suspension of Parliament. This has never happened in the entire history of Federation-not during the Depression, not during the Spanish flu pandemic and not even during WW2. If this doesn't alarm the population then I despair for our nation. Time for a Republic with a popularly elected Head of State.

[Yenn]

I reckon a popularly elected head of state would be no better than what we have now and possibly a lot worse.

[spacesailor]

Did,nt Herr Adof, do something simular? .

spacesailor

[Methusala]

I reckon a popularly elected head of state would be no better than what we have now and possibly a lot worse.

"You maybe wrong

Or you maybe right" (I maybe crazy,apologies to Billy Joel)

 

At least we could imagine we had some hand in who was making these absolutely crucial decisions. Dictatorship is such a hard rock to swallow.

[old man emu]

Constitutionally, the decision made by the G-G to suspend parliament would have been one taken on the advice of Her Majesty's Ministers - the Government. If the Government's advice to the G-G was that suspending Parliament was in the best interests of the Nation, and seemingly there being no arguments to the contrary, then the G-G does nothing wrong in accepting the advice. That's our Constitution in action.

 

If you want to have a go at anybody, take pot shots at the wooses who wanted to escape Canberra.

[facthunter]

The "government" on such a critical issue would appropriately be the combined vote of both houses of Parliament. It's easy to get a dictator and very much harder to get RID of one obviously. The Australian parliament has a record for NOT sitting which should cause concern to all. As THEY often say to us" IF you have nothing to hide, you won't mind us knowing your every email and where you are at all times.etc. They also claim to be "open and accountable" which is clearly UNTRUE. Nev

[Yenn]

What is dictatorship? This country has been to war several times because the decision has been made by a dictator, namely the PM. Parliament didn't vote on going to fight in 1914, or for the Second World Warn nor for Viet Nam and possibly Korea. I don't think it was ever voted on to go to Bush's war.

Now we have the PM apparently making all the decisions. Does he have a vote on it, because if not it is hardly democracy.

Our definition of democracy seems to me to be we decide who will decide on who our dictator is going to be.

[Methusala]

What is dictatorship?

 

Well, I have no wish to experience a dictatorship. It may seem to you that this is what our experience since federation has been. Naivety may be a comfortable state from the armchair - I have spoken to Chileans who fled Pinochet's regime.

My point is simply that, in a democracy, our representatives (all of them) are to use the parliament to test vital policies.

[facthunter]

The Parliament is where the Peoples representatives parly (talk and vote on issues.). It includes the Senate House of review (all members) and the Lower house of reps including the opposition and any independents. In times of war etc it's Normal to form a gov't of all parties so they all wear the responsibility. Anyone in the Lower house is there by the majority vote of their Electorate so is just as elected as the next person even the PM. To deny some the right to represent their electorate is well outside what was intended. It's also feasible to have a combined vote of BOTH houses. WE are far away from these principles at the moment. Nev